D Class rescues man in shallow water and heavy breaking seasJohn Pearson, helmsman of Whitby's D class inshore lifeboat, has been awarded the RNLI's Bronze Medal for his seamanship and bravery following a service in conditions at the very limit for a D class.Helmsman Pearson and his crew took their D class inflatable into rough, continuously breaking seas up to 12ft high and shallow water in a display of superb seamanship.

At 1130 on Saturday 20 February 1993 Humber Coastguard asked Whitby lifeboat station to provide assistance to two 6m rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) - one of which had capsized - to the east of the harbour.

One of the RIBs, with two crew aboard, had been struck by a heavy sea which knocked the crew off their feet. The motor cut-out key had been fastened to one of them and the engine cut as intended, however the key had then been lost, leaving the boat without power.

Overturned The next wave overturned the boat and threw both men into the water. The second RIB picked up one of them, but a large breaking sea washed the second man out of reach and nearly overturned her. The helmsman did not feel he could operate safely in the conditions and ran into Whitby for help.

Whitby's Tyne class lifeboat City of Sheffield proceeded on service, followed two minutes later by the D class inflatable.

The inshore lifeboat was not officially 'on service' as she had not been tested for the season and did not have her radio installed.

However coxswain Thomson realised that the casualty was likely to be swept onto rocks that he could not reach with the all-weather lifeboat and had asked for volunteers to man the D class.

The slipway winch was not operative but the D class was let go from the top and launched successfully.

Clearing the harbour entrance the allweather lifeboat waved for the inflatable to stay astern as she turned to starboard and reduced speed to enter the shallow area known as the Whitby Rocks.

The NW wind gave only a moderate sea, but a heavy northerly swell wasbreaking on the Whitby Rocks, producing breaking seas 8ft to 12ft high.At first nothing could be seen, but then a head was spotted in the turbulent, breaking seas. As the Tyne crept in towards the land, with the seas breaking over her stern, coxswain Thomson realised that with the echo sounder now showing just 3ft in the troughs he could go no closer and waved the inflatable in.

As the inflatable headed inshore at full speed, down and slightly across the breaking seas her crew saw a head in the water about 100 yards away.

Breaking The breaking seas meant that it was impossible to reach the survivor while heading down-sea so the D class went past him and carried out a 'snatch turn' on the back of a sea to return for a headto- sea approach.

On the first attempt a large breaking sea swept the bow of the lifeboat away, and she had to repeat the manoeuvre to make another head-to-sea approach.

This time, at about 1150, the survivor was brought alongside and quickly hauled aboard - as the inflatable could not be stopped in the conditions.

Keeping the weight towards the bow to avoid a bow-over-stern capsize the D class was taken straight out into the seas, the height increasing to 12ft as the swells drove onto the shallow rocks. The lifeboat left the water completely on several occasions, crashing heavily into the following trough.

The crew of the all-weather lifeboat had seen the survivor recovered. However, the seas appeared to the coxswain to have increased and he felt that they were too much for the inshore lifeboat. Edging closer to the shore the crew prepared heaving lines in case the D class was overturned.

Eventually the inflatable reached theTyne, and both boats headed north to clear the shallow area. Once clear of the heavy breaking seas the survivor, who was shocked and cold, was transferred to the Tyne.

Both lifeboats returned to Whitby Harbour where the casualty was transferred into a waiting ambulance at 1211.

The crew members aboard the inflatable, Ronald Goodberry and Nicholas Bentley, have been awarded the Thanks of the Institution on Vellum..